Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population.
| Variable | NAFLD, n = 76 | Non-NAFLD, n = 844 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical | |||
| Age (years) | 75 (70–80) | 67 (59–75) | <0.001 |
| Female sex (%) | 24/76 (31.6%) | 157/844 (18.6%) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes (%) | 54/74 (73%) | 237/598 (39.6%) | <0.001 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia (%) | 34/72 (47.2%) | 100/551 (18.1%) | <0.001 |
| Weight (kg) | 81 (69.8–91) | 74.7 (64.4–85) | 0.005 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 28.7 (25.6–31) | 25.6 (22.4–28.7) | <0.001 |
| BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (%) | 48/73 (65.8%) | 195/591 (33%) | <0.001 |
| Biological | |||
| ALT (IU/L) | 36 (25–61) | 49 (31–84) | 0.004 |
| AST (IU/L) | 53 (37.5–95.2) | 83 (53–141) | <0.001 |
| Albumin (g/L) | 30 (27–34) | 28 (24–33) | 0.076 |
| Total bilirubin (μmol/L) | 19 (14–31) | 54.7 (–24–133.4) | <0.001 |
| Creatinine (μmol/L) | 87.5 (73–117.8) | 82 (69–105) | 0.162 |
| Sodium (mmol/L) | 137 (134.8–139) | 137 (134–139) | 0.225 |
| Platelets (109/L) | 224.5 (142.2–305) | 138 (89.5–202.5) | <0.001 |
| GGT (IU/L) | 167 (62–295) | 189.5 (108–360.8) | 0.118 |
| Alk Phos (IU/L) | 130.5 (82.8–196.8) | 129.5 (94–190) | 0.739 |
| Haemoglobin (g/L) | 126 (107–145.5) | 127.5 (110–142) | 0.746 |
| INR | 1.19 (1.03–1.64) | 1.35 (1.12–1.72) | 0.010 |
| MELD | 10 (8–14) | 12 (8–16) | 0.044 |
| Background liver | |||
| Histological or clinical F3–F4 | 41/67 (61.2%) | 558/598 (93.3%) | <0.001 |
Differences between groups were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test or Chi-square test as appropriate. ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GGT, gamma-glutamyltransferase; INR, international normalised ratio; MELD, model for end-stage liver disease; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.